The present relates to the use of a collapsible easel which is easily set up to provide for two visual displays and provides for the rotation of the easel to quickly alternate between the two visual displays.
During conferences or discussion groups where visual displays are required, it is often times required to make prior arrangements for installation of a display easel to assist in the conference presentation, lecture or discussion group. Sometimes, an easel is not readably available which places the discussion leader at a great disadvantage.
Further, even when an easel is available, the amount of material which may be displayed by the easel is limited by its single display surface. During changing of a visual display, a break in concentration of the audience may result.
Accordingly, there is a need for a portable, collapsible display easel having the capability of supporting two visual displays which may be easily and quickly accessed without hindering the flow of a presentation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible easel which provides a display surface for two visual displays which facilitates a quick and easy alternation between the two visual displays. This object may be achieved by providing a fixed base and a rotatable base, rotatable with respect to the fixed base. On top of the rotatable base is a visual display support. On opposed sides of the rotatable base are located tray edge braces which support a bottom of an outwardly leaning edge of at least one visual display. The visual display may be of different heights and/or widths and be of a different median such as flip charts, dry erase boards, foam display boards, etcetera.
When reference to one visual display is completed, the rotatable base portion is rotated with respect to the fixed base portion so as to present the second visual display previously mounted on the opposite side of the rotatable easel. No interruption in the lecture or discussion is made and the attention of the audience remains fixed on the visual displays. A series of aligned opposing pole magnets cooperate to hold the base portions in proper alignment.
Ease of transport is facilitated by the folding of the visual display support upon itself by folding of two halves of a visual display support to lie parallel to the base portions, having pivoted about a hinge located at the lowermost edge of the visual display support. A locking mechanism ensures the extension of the visual display support, to its full height. A second hinge provides a slight inclination of the visual display support with respect to the rotatable base portion. The second hinge is foldable to allow for the lay flat condition of the visual display support.
Along a top edge of the visual display support, on at least one side of the visual display support, are a series of hooks for interengaging with holes, binding wires or other cooperating structure to secure a top edge of the visual display to the visual display support.
In an alternate embodiment, extending from the fixed base portion of the two part base portion is a vertical support stand interconnected with the fixed base portion at one end and having four collapsible feet at an opposite end. The feet are pivotally mounted to the vertical support stand so as to reduce the overall bulkiness and handlability of the collapsible easel during transport. The legs are quickly returned to a position of use and secured in position by clamps to provide a stable fixed support for the overall assembly.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible easel with a fixed base portion and a rotatable base portion having a visual display support extending from and being collapsible onto the rotatable base portion.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a collapsible easel with a fixed base portion and a rotatable base portion having a visual display support extending from and being collapsible onto the rotatable base portion with the vertical display support being foldable in two so as to lie parallel to the rotatable base portion.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a collapsible easel with a fixed base portion and a rotatable base portion having a visual display support extending from and being collapsible onto the rotatable base portion with the vertical display support being foldable in two so as to lie parallel to the rotatable base portion and a vertical support stand mounted on the fixed base portion with the vertical support stand having collapsible legs to facilitate transport of the assembly.